Guiding Principles

The principles below, while not a complete statement of our investment philosophy, illustrate how we bring accumulated wisdom and a disciplined approach to promoting clients’ financial fitness.

Financial fitness is a three-legged stool of work, thrift and prudent investing.

You may believe investments are the key to financial success. While investments are important in our work, we also help you make smart financial choices on matters that make a difference and over which you have much more control: cash flow & budgeting, benefits maximization, education planning, charitable giving, harvesting employer equity and more.

Financial ideas are everywhere; financial success requires planning.

All of us have financial ideas, such as whether to invest in a company whose products we admire. Taken in isolation, the outcome of each decision, whether good or bad, is somewhat random. Financial success, by contrast, comes from a repeated process. And like all life disciplines, coaching and teamwork dramatically improve one’s ability to persist and even thrive in the pursuit.

Cash is the financial lifeblood of every household.

Grasping the interplay of income from work or investments, movements between accounts, taxation, spending decisions and debt payments, and how these factors affect cash available now and in the future, is the foundation of financial planning. It is no coincidence that our partnership with every client starts with the basics of household cash flow.

Time is the lever by which an investment portfolio is built or eroded.

Albert Einstein famously called compound interest the most powerful force in the universe. Compounding is the key. It means getting invested, rather than trying to time the markets, and letting repeated returns do the work of building wealth. It also means understanding sustainable withdrawals so that security is preserved as you enjoy the life you’ve made.

Humility in financial planning requires leaving room for uncertain consequences.

Our job is to help clients build diversified portfolios that will remain resilient in a variety of economic futures and over a long horizon. Likewise, cash management, career moves, estate planning, and choosing to exercise stock options all involve managing uncertainty. Throughout our work, we coach clients to look beyond the most likely or hoped-for outcome so that they can make informed choices and be prepared regardless of what comes to pass.

Taxes are a fact of life, but thoughtful tax mitigation should be a constant discipline.

Every asset and type of income has a tax character. We help clients arrange their financial lives (i.e., their investments, income, employer benefits, charitable giving, IRA withdrawals, etc.) to mitigate taxes while pursuing other primary goals like achieving portfolio returns or avoiding excessive concentration in a single asset. While not always measurable, sound tax planning is often a significant contributor toward a client’s overall financial success.

Financial innovation is ubiquitous, but its utility is limited.

Financial innovation is accelerating with a proliferation of platforms, products and themes. How to make sense of it all? We start by separating the hype or adverse myth around an issue or product from its true utility and costs so that clients can judge whether the idea fits with their plan and will help them reach their goals.

Financial fitness is a three-legged stool of work, thrift and prudent investing.

You may believe investments are the key to financial success. While investments are important in our work, we also help you make smart financial choices on matters that make a difference and over which you have much more control: cash flow & budgeting, benefits maximization, education planning, charitable giving, harvesting employer equity and more.

Financial ideas are everywhere; financial success requires planning.

All of us have financial ideas, such as whether to invest in a company whose products we admire. Taken in isolation, the outcome of each decision, whether good or bad, is somewhat random. Financial success, by contrast, comes from a repeated process. And like all life disciplines, coaching and teamwork dramatically improve one’s ability to persist and even thrive in the pursuit.

Cash is the financial lifeblood of every household.

Grasping the interplay of income from work or investments, movements between accounts, taxation, spending decisions and debt payments, and how these factors affect cash available now and in the future, is the foundation of financial planning. It is no coincidence that our partnership with every client starts with the basics of household cash flow.

Time is the lever by which an investment portfolio is built or eroded.

Albert Einstein famously called compound interest the most powerful force in the universe. Compounding is the key. It means getting invested, rather than trying to time the markets, and letting repeated returns do the work of building wealth. It also means understanding sustainable withdrawals so that security is preserved as you enjoy the life you’ve made.

Humility in financial planning requires leaving room for uncertain consequences.

Our job is to help clients build diversified portfolios that will remain resilient in a variety of economic futures and over a long horizon. Likewise, cash management, career moves, estate planning, and choosing to exercise stock options all involve managing uncertainty. Throughout our work, we coach clients to look beyond the most likely or hoped-for outcome so that they can make informed choices and be prepared regardless of what comes to pass.

Taxes are a fact of life, but thoughtful tax mitigation should be a constant discipline.

Every asset and type of income has a tax character. We help clients arrange their financial lives (i.e., their investments, income, employer benefits, charitable giving, IRA withdrawals, etc.) to mitigate taxes while pursuing other primary goals like achieving portfolio returns or avoiding excessive concentration in a single asset. While not always measurable, sound tax planning is often a significant contributor toward a client’s overall financial success.

Financial innovation is ubiquitous, but its utility is limited.

Financial innovation is accelerating with a proliferation of platforms, products and themes. How to make sense of it all? We start by separating the hype or adverse myth around an issue or product from its true utility and costs so that clients can judge whether the idea fits with their plan and will help them reach their goals.